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Monday, 25 April 2016

This band has been getting an overwhelming amount of requests, so I couldn't wait any longer to finally get them on here. Pinegrove are a four-piece indie/alternative/emo band from Montclair, New Jersey that formed in 2010. For their first few years, they remained relatively unknown, though put out a slew of self-released material. Then last year, they put out a compilation of all that material, which was later re-released by Run For Cover at the end of the year. Now in 2016, they've put out their technical second full-length, but first with a label (also Run For Cover). They've got a ton of attention in the past year or so, and for good reason. They've got a unique sound that's hard to pin down, though fans of Sorority Noise and Teen Suicide will definitely find some appeal in this band. Even comparisons to bands like Wilco and The Good Life could be made. Just give them a listen, the charismatic appeal is immediately evident. Enjoy.

Psyched To Die were a New Jersey punk band that featured members of other phenomenal bands such as The Ergs! and For Science. They were only around from 2008 to 2010 and put out three great EP's, as well as a compilation that just consisted of all the songs on the aforementioned EP's. Psyched To Die are a solid band through and through; they play with the same energy and melody that a band like the Descendents do. With a roster of amazing musicians, it's no shocker that this band knocked out a slew of amazing songs. Enjoy.

Stella Luna are a five-piece shoegaze band from Jacksonville, Florida that possibly formed in 1997. I say "possibly" because there is not much information out there on this band. This is with the exception of their sole EP, Stargazer, which was released on Claire Records in 2002. Though not widely circulated, it's gained a decent audience for a shoegaze band from the early 2000's, when the genre was at a virtual standstill. Though Stella Luna don't reinvent any wheels here, they do present four solid songs of ethereal, reverberated goodness. Heavy guitars fill the speakers, while the drums and vocals drift in the background, which are immediate reminders of the bands that made this genre great. Enjoy.

Friday, 8 April 2016

Baptists are a four-piece hardcore band from Vancouver, British Columbia that formed in 2010. Thus far they've put out two albums, both by Southern Lord Records and produced by Kurt Ballou. They've even garnered the interest of Dave Grohl, who mentioned his admiration for the band's drummer. As far as sound goes, Baptists play a dark, heavy, fast-paced brand of hardcore with some sludgy tones and guttural vocals. They're fairly comparable to the greatest band ever, Cursed. Baptists have a new album on the way this year, so be sure to look out for that. Enjoy.

Egg Hunt were a two-piece post-hardcore band featuring Ian MacKaye and Jeff Nelson, better known as the founders of Dischord Records and former members of Minor Threat. They recorded a single 7" in London in 1986, which became known as either Me And You or 2 Songs. When they returned to DC, they attempted to turn it into a full-blown project with members of Gray Matter, but ended up averting their attention to two new bands, Fugazi (MacKaye) and Three (Nelson). Regardless, this 2-track EP was released. It was fairly experimental and progressive, and the guitar work is definitely indicative on what would appear on Fugazi's EP a few years later. The second track, "All Falls Down" apparently was a left-over track from Embrace (another band of MacKaye's), and this would make sense, since the vocal delivery is very similar. Something else of random note is the production work on this EP, with the drums and guitars sounding full and nicely reverberated. Enjoy.

Thursday, 7 April 2016

The Sky Corvair were a post-hardcore/emo band from Chicago, Illinois that began in 1994 and broke up in 1995, though briefly reformed in 1997. Their discography was compiled and released as a single album in 2001. Though the band is relatively unknown, their members were in some other very notable bands. Their vocalist was Tim Kinsella, who joined The Sky Corvair as a side-project of Cap'n Jazz. He's also known for Joan Of Arc, Owls, Make Believe, you know the bands. Another major member was Bob Nanna, better known as being a member of Braid, as well as Hey Mercedes and The City On Film. Kevin J. Frank and Neil Sandler played in Gauge before this band, and formed Haymarket Riot and Rollo Tomasi respectively after The Sky Corvair ended. There may have been other members, at least a different singer on the last three songs, but I'm not entirely sure because info on them is both scarce and inconsistent. Either way, we've got this album below, which is a great mix of Kinsella's distinct vocals with the intricate instrumentation and off-kilter rhythms that one would expect from the rest of the band. It nicely balances experimentation with musicality, and makes for both a good album and an interesting document in the members' long musical histories. Enjoy.

Wednesday, 6 April 2016

Hopefully this band doesn't need much of an introduction, considering the massive influence they've had. Infest were a hardcore band from Valencia, California that were originally around from 1986 to 1991. They've reunited since then, and play shows and festivals sporadically. Infest were a massive influence on powerviolence, with their original material being continually repressed and circulated for years, and then their seminal full-length No Man's Slave being released in 2002, almost 10 years after they broke up. Infest were basically a powerviolence band before powerviolence existed, which is the expected next step when you're dealing with a band of Negative Approach disciples. Not only were they an influence but Infest managed to carry the torch by creating some of the most intense and aggressive music ever pressed to a record. Even years later, it still holds up as if it were released today. Even bands now are still trying to top what Infest did 25 years ago, which makes them one band on here that are obligatory to listen to. Enjoy.

Tuesday, 5 April 2016

I figured since I already put Lifetime up on here last month, I couldn't let another month go by without the inclusion of Kid Dynamite. Both bands are massive influences in both melodic hardcore and pop punk of course, but the two are also related through guitarist Dan Yemin, who began Kid Dynamite after Lifetime broke up in 1997. This new band released two amazing full-lengths, both through Jade Tree, before breaking up in 2000. A compilation came out a few years later, titled Cheap Shots, Youth Anthems.

Kid Dynamite reunited a few time after their initial break-up. Once in 2005, and then a handful of times between 2010 and 2013 before officially calling it quits. Their members have been involved in a handful of amazing bands, including Paint It Black, None More Black, and The Loved Ones, in addition to the obvious Lifetime. As far as sound goes, Kid Dynamite are pretty straight-forward. Catchy, heart-pumping "youth anthems" were their forte, and have made them a timeless classic, so please enjoy. I included a compilation of covers just because there are a ton of amazing bands that appear on it, including The Ergs!, The Wonder Years, Comadre, Lewd Acts, Make Do And Mend, This Time Next Year, Broadway Calls, Death is Not Glamorous, This Is Hell, the list goes on and on.

A Stubborn Reminder...

Please remember, not everything on here is supposed to be free. Enjoy to your heart's content, but if you can, please try and support these bands by purchasing records, going to shows, buying merch, anything if at all possible. Most of them could really use (and deserve) it.